In a world where it is so easy to forget how to just be still and at peace, equines are wonderful reminders and great teachers of equanimity.

Monica* decided to try equine assisted therapy because she was going through a divorce and found herself anxious, irritable and always ready for a fight. She was depressed, having difficulty sleeping, and anger and resentment were common themes in her day to day life.

Monica started her first session by just observing the herd. She noticed that the equines were either grazing, laying down, or just standing next to each other. After some time, one of the larger horses came in between two others, essentially disrupting their peace. One of the horses moved away.  The other horse had a different response and instead […]

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It can be hard to join a group of people you don’t know. The same goes for horses. Joining a new herd is a process!

There are ways to make the transition into a new group a little easier for both the individual joining and the existing members. Check out these tips for joining a new group, inspired by Lady’s experience.

Listen and Be Curious: By really observing, listening and paying attention, Lady was able to learn who was who in the herd. She was able to get a sense of each individual rather than making judgements based on first impressions. By being curious about how the group was already working, she […]

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Where are you right now? Not physically, but mentally and emotionally. Are you here, or are your thoughts somewhere else? Did you notice your surroundings on your way to your current location or the eye color of the last person you interacted with? How present are you now?  As you’re reading this, are you doing anything else besides just reading this?

Being present may seem like a simple thing, and it can be, but we regularly overlook this powerful and often elusive state of being. In our busy, modern world our minds are frequently somewhere other than where our bodies are.  We are so used to being in this state of split-presence, that it can become challenging to be present, even when we want to be.

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While we humans struggle with being present, a horse’s instinctual wisdom enables them to be fully present in the moment — relaxed enough to graze, drink and play, while trusting that should the need arise, their survival instincts will kick in and enable them to move at any moment. Once the threat has ended, they might snort, take big exhales and literally shake their bodies all over as a reset. They let go of the (now past) threat, then go back to grazing and just being in the present moment.

As a veteran returning from Afghanistan, Hannah* sought out Equine Therapy to address her Post Traumatic Stress and help her integrate back into civilian life.  She was having a hard time managing her anxiety and was just starting to practice the skill of being present in stressful situations.

Hannah was drawn to a horse she named “Obbie” who was also […]

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Horses are amazingly resilient and very forgiving.  Watch a herd for any period of time and you’ll see that just like any other social group they have their share of skirmishes and disagreements, yet they quickly let it go, re-connect as a herd, and move on with the business at hand.

In contrast, for us humans, letting go and moving forward can be extremely challenging. Whether we have experienced a bruised ego or a serious physical or emotional violation, learning how to let go of resentment and anger is essential for our physical and emotional well-being.

Virtually everyone has experienced being hurt by the words or actions of another.  Maybe you were bullied at school, had a colleague sabotage a work project, or your spouse betrayed you.  When we have been hurt […]

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